Walter Baier: The dialogue between religions and Marxism is possible

Walter Baier, former head of the Communist Party of Austria, spoke to Cross-border Talks about the prospects of the so-called Christian-Marxist dialogue. The process became fashionable during the reign of pope Francis II, who comes from Latin America and has openness to the liberation theology, unlike his conservative predecessor John Paul II. Walter Baier spoke about the premises that make such a dialogue possible - such as the pope's position on capitalism ("the economy kills") or the need for wider alliances to counter climate change and global crisis. Baier also made a class analysis of the tendencies both inside the Catholic church itself and the gropus of dialogue between the church and the left-leaning people. Baier was reminded that the Catholic Church has had an utterly unprogressive role in Polish society, supporting widening of the abortion ban. In spite of that, apparently the need for dialogue in the world - between religions and various political and social groups is rising, and the world is ever more prone for conflict.